Govt not addressing Muslim grievances

Govt not addressing Muslim grievances

Thailand has failed to address the real grievances of Muslims in
its insurgency-wracked south and the situation has gone "too far
in the wrong direction," a former Thai foreign minister said in
remarks published on Sunday.

Several factors including abuse of power by authorities, the
violation of human rights and poverty have fueled the separatist
violence in southern Thailand, claiming more than 860 lives since
early 2004, former minister Surin Pitsuwan was quoted as saying
by the New Sunday Times.

"A lot of candies and goodies are being handed out after the
situation has gone wrong. (But) their real grievances are still
not being addressed. Violence is still raging. Insecurity is
still a fact of life for all sides," said Surin, a Muslim.

The insurgency was limited in the 1980s to a small group of
people who aspired for autonomy, he said, but now, "there is a
growing sense of alienation from the mainstream, coupled with the
marginalization in all areas -- social, political and economic
and cultural."

The newspaper didn't say where or when Surin was interviewed.

"The situation has gone too far in the wrong direction in the
past four or five years. To expect it to return to normal in a
short period of time is unrealistic," he said.

Surin was foreign minister in the opposition Democrat Party
government that lost power to Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's
Thai Rak Thai Party in the 2001 elections. Thaksin won a second
term in February this year.

Many critics have blamed the arrogance and insensitivity of
Thaksin's government for the deterioration in the south. Muslims
are a minority in predominantly Buddhist Thailand, and most live
in the three southern provinces of Pattani, Narathiwat and Yala,
bordering Malaysia.

It is still not too late to turn the tide, Surin said,
suggesting that decentralization and distribution of power to the
south would be politically safe for Thaksin, while helping to
resolve the problem.

He said a step in the right direction was the setting up of
the National Reconciliation Commission, headed by respected
statesman Anand Panyarachun.

"We are trying to find a proper balance between the demand of
the state and the legitimate expectations of the Muslims in the
south within the framework of the constitution. It will take
time," Surin said. -- AP